Adult, ARC review, book review

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne (ARC Review)

Title: Second First Impressions
Author: Sally Thorne
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (HarperCollins)
Date published: April 13, 2021

A complimentary digital copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Distraction (n): an extreme agitation of the mind or emotions.

Ruthie Midona has worked the front desk at the Providence Luxury Retirement Villa for six years, dedicating her entire adult life to caring for the Villa’s residents, maintaining the property (with an assist from DIY YouTube tutorials), and guarding the endangered tortoises that live in the Villa’s gardens. Somewhere along the way, she’s forgotten that she’s young and beautiful, and that there’s a world outside of work—until she meets the son of the property developer who just acquired the retirement center.

Teddy Prescott has spent the last few years partying, sleeping in late, tattooing himself when bored, and generally not taking life too seriously—something his father, who dreams of grooming Teddy into his successor, can’t understand. When Teddy needs a place to crash, his father seizes the chance to get him to grow up. He’ll let Teddy stay in one of the on-site cottages at the retirement home, but only if he works to earn his keep. Teddy agrees—he can change a few lightbulbs and clip some hedges, no sweat. But Ruthie has plans for Teddy too.

Her two wealthiest and most eccentric residents have just placed an ad (yet another!) seeking a new personal assistant to torment. The women are ninety-year-old, four-foot-tall menaces, and not one of their assistants has lasted a full week. Offering up Teddy seems like a surefire way to get rid of the tall, handsome, unnerving man who won’t stop getting under her skin.

Ruthie doesn’t count on the fact that in Teddy Prescott, the Biddies may have finally met their match. He’ll pick up Chanel gowns from the dry cleaner and cut Big Macs into bite-sized bits. He’ll do repairs around the property, make the residents laugh, and charm the entire villa. He might even remind Ruthie what it’s like to be young and fun again. But when she finds out Teddy’s father’s only fixing up the retirement home to sell it, putting everything she cares about in jeopardy, she’s left wondering if Teddy’s magic was all just a façade.

⤖ My Review ⬻

I spent a few late nights reading Second First Impressions. I was so hooked! I really enjoyed Sally Thorne’s previous novels, The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine, so I wasn’t very surprised that I was enjoying Second First Impressions. I definitely felt a spark between Ruthie and Teddy from the moment they met and was so eager to see how it would play out.

And even though I’ve read Sally Thorne before, I still got the sense from how the plot in Second First Impressions was developing, how things were going to wrap up in this case. I was a bit stressed, not going to lie! But I also laughed, cried, laugh-cried. I also felt angry with certain characters at times…so I felt all the things.

A photograph taken by Flavia the Bibliophile of an iPad laying on a white fur rug laid over a dark wood floor. The iPad is facing up and displaying the cover of the book Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne.

I really loved Teddy! And I liked Ruthie a lot, despite some of the frustration I felt for her sometimes. I also wish that Second First Impressions accurately represented Teddy on the cover. I don’t think that displaying him with long hair and tattoos would have deterred readers since they would know about Teddy’s appearance from the synopsis. If anything, the book would likely attract more readers. But oh well!

As much as I enjoyed Second First Impressions, I felt that there was something missing. And it took me quite a bit of reflecting and discussing with friends to get to the root of what that missing thing was. And now, I’m trying to express what it is without spoiling anything…I think the best and most vague way for me to say it is, there was a lot of tension between two characters (good tension), and the way this tension broke wasn’t satisfying enough for me.

But, keep in mind that these reviews are personal opinions and that you may have a different experience entirely. Also, that missing thing aside, I really enjoyed Second First Impressions and definitely recommend it!

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Sally Thorne is the USA Today bestselling author of the office rom-com The Hating Game (2016). It is her debut novel that has sold in over twenty-five countries and is being made into a major motion picture, directed by Peter Hutchings and starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell. Filming wrapped in December 2020. It was named in the top 20 

Sally Thorne, author of The Hating Game, 99 Percent Mine, and Second First Impressions.

romance novels of 2016 by the Washington Post and was a top ten finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards romance category. The Hating Game has been cited as a book that has reinvigorated the romantic comedy genre.

⤖ Places to Purchase the Book ⬻

⤖ Let's Chat ⬻

Thank you for reading my review! Have you read this book? What did you think? And if you haven’t read it yet, do you plan to? Let me know in the comments!

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